1. Technical Field
This invention relates to the art of making oxygen compounds and, more particularly, to the making of duo metal oxy compounds.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Yttrium silicon oxy compounds have heretofore been made as second phase compounds comingled with other second phase oxynitride compounds, all formed as a result of making hot pressed silicon nitride with yttrium oxide and silica aids (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,401,617, particular column 8, lines 37-53). Such formation of yttrium silicon oxy compounds from Y.sub.2 O.sub.3 and SiO.sub.2 is undesirable because a pure or homogeneous oxy compound does not result. The formation takes place as a chemical reaction of the solid ingredients limited by inadequate intimacy between all ingredients; the chemical reaction must proceed from surface diffusion contact between particles and is inherently limited.
It would be desirable if Y.sub.2 O.sub.3 and SiO.sub.2 were to be melted because such melt would insure intimacy so necessary to a uniform homogeneous reaction product. Unfortunately, each of these ingredients melt at temperatures that exceed 1700.degree. C. and such temperatures are extremely uneconomical to use in making basic starting materials and certainly such temperatures are difficult to consistently reach and maintain in hot pressing or sintering techniques in powder metallurgy.
What is needed is a method by which low cost ingredients may be used to form duo metal oxy compounds, such as yttrium silicon oxide, at reactive temperatures below 1550.degree. C.
It is an object of this invention to make a duo metal oxy compound utilizing low cost ingredients, such as yttrium silicon oxide, at reactive temperatures below 1550.degree. C.